


a brief discussion

by kingozma



Series: Final Fantasy XV: The Minivan AU [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: A Discussion in the Void, Asshole Somnus vs Doormat Somnus - FIGHT, Episode Ardyn Prologue, Gen, My Own Clone, episode ardyn, minivan au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 08:04:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17422067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingozma/pseuds/kingozma
Summary: i will NEVER learn from my mistake of assigning a personality and motives to characters this game has not elaborated on yet. FUCK you





	a brief discussion

Pouring a glass of dark, red wine for the true Somnus first and then for himself, the false Somnus - who we can call Sxmnus for ease of reading - supposed he only wanted one thing.

"I would like, if nothing else," said Sxmnus, in his soft, cold voice, "An explanation. I would like to know why you did it."

"That's not too much to ask," answered Somnus, one leg crossed widely over the other as he swished his wine around until a few tiny bubbles began to form, "But I warn you, you might not get what you think you're getting."

Sxmnus answered Somnus' smug grin with a look of frigid determination, and said, "I'll take my chances."

Sxmnus knew why he had betrayed Ardyn - it was because the Astrals told him to. They told him that the Scourge building up in his body had infected his mind, and he wanted to enslave the people of this new country of Lucis by infecting them as well. That is to say--

That is to say, he knew that Ardyn was infected for a long while before it became a problem, in the eyes of the Six - it only became something to fix when the Six told him it was.

Somnus said, gazing down into the deep red wine in his hand, "He was never meant to be king. Not like I was."

Sxmnus had expected something like this, but closing his eyes and breathing deeply - softly - through his nose was not helping his rising blood pressure.

"Come on," Somnus simply rolled his eyes with a little chuckle, "He was your brother too - you know he wasn't cut out for it. You remember the joyless fuck, all dressed in white like he's holier than everyone around him, going on and on and on about the good of his people, like all there is to being king is just being nice to everybody."

Sxmnus didn't remember this Ardyn - he remembered the decadent young man his brother was, he remembered red and purple and black and a following of friends and admirers, but at the very least he remembered kindness, selflessness. But what he was hearing, ironically, was that Somnus' Ardyn was better suited to be king than his own.

"I worked my ass off to know the things Ardyn didn't know - the economy, any outside enemies, all the different languages he'd have to learn-- all he had was presence, and a Good Job sticker from Bahamut. Spoiled bastard didn't know just how good he had it," growled Somnus, curling up a bit in his seat. "I had to work to fill in the holes he didn't even know he had. He was just handed a trophy from the Astrals, and expected to figure it out on his own, since he was so great."

"If I know anything," said Sxmnus, finally speaking up, "It's that Ardyn can do anything he sets his mind to. He had to have been thinking about all these things- you know he was. He had to have had some sort of plan."

"You think I knew that?" Somnus replied, narrowing his eyes, "The guy was in his own little world, gods-- he was like a pregnant lady or something, thought he had unlocked some secret to life that no one else figured out. Was annoying as all hell, you have any idea what that's like? When your older brother thinks he's some kind of god walking on Eos?"

"... I don't know," Sxmnus said, looking away. "I don't know what that's like. He never treated me like I was lesser, or stupid, or--"

"Then maybe you ought to shut your damn mouth! You consider that?"

Now, Sxmnus was becoming impatient. "I will do no such thing. You still haven't answered my question."

Setting his wine glass down on the table between them rather roughly, Somnus sat up as he continued, grinning. "Well, I figured out the chink in his armor. I figured out the one imperfect thing about perfect, divine Ardyn -- he was no better than the diseased men he was healing. He was no holier than them - he was full of the stars' curse, too. He was just as dirty as everyone else-- dirtier, even!"

"You're angry at Ardyn because he took his job seriously?!" Sxmnus finally demanded, "Because he took himself seriously?! Because he had a personality flaw you never talked to him about?!"

"So you get it, you get the Scourge thing was just my way in," Somnus said, seeming to ignore his counterpart, "Yeah - I didn't care that he was infected, I guess I was just desperate for-- something, you know? Something he wasn't perfect at. Like being a normal human. Deaugh-- I never understood why his thing was healing the Scourge lepers, they're just so-- ugh. There's more important things for a king to be doing - like defending your country from invaders, I dunno, maybe enjoying what you've got every once in a while."

"Scourge victims are not abnormal, or dirty-!" Sxmnus suddenly yelled, "They are human beings like you and I who are suffering, and they deserve our respect! How could you possibly consider yourself qualified for the throne when you can't even get your definition of 'human' straight?!"

"Alright, alright-- gods, just shut up with the moralizing crap." Rolling his eyes, Somnus simply said, "I knew you wouldn't like my answer. But it is what it is - I wanted what he had... And I got it. I'm happy with that."

... Sxmnus began to wonder how his dear brother would be faring in a discussion with Somnus' dear brother.


End file.
